John Perez
Big Idea
Cool Discovery
Education
Employment
Awards
Would You Have Guessed That...
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Big Idea
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Snakes use venom to alter biological functions and that’s what medicine does too.
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Cool Discovery
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Rats have a natural resistance to snake venom. This led Dr. Perez to wonder how snake toxins affect different animals and how these molecules might be medically useful. Dr. Perez then went on to found and direct the NIH-funded Natural Toxins Research Center, where poisonous snakes are housed, bred and milked for their venom, which is sent to researchers all over the world.
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Education
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- Received a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Utah in 1967
- Received a M.A. in Zoology and Genetics from Mankato State University in 1969
- Received a PhD from Utah State University in Bacteriology in 1972
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Employment
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Dr. Perez has been teaching and doing research at Texas A and M University-Kingsville since 1972. In 1999, he became a Regents Professor of the Texas A & M System.
In March 2000, Dr. Perez became the founding director of the Natural Toxins Research Center.
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Awards
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Was the first recipient of an Undergraduate Institution Mentoring Award sponsored by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science in 1998
Selected as the Texas Academy of Science 2004 Distinguished Scientist
Received a Minority Access Role Model Award in 2004
Recognized for his many accomplishments by the Texas House of Representatives in February of 2005.
Selected as one of the 50 Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business for 2005 and 2006 by Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology magazine.
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Would You Have Guessed That...
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When Dr. Perez came to Texas A & M University-Kingsville, his specialty was virology. But his students got him interested in snake venom, which he’s studied for more than 30 years.
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